Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
You're ignoring what I'm saying. I'm not saying top players for linemates, I'm saying non-terrible linemates. In 16/17, he was fed absolutely awful 5v5 linemates.
In 17/18, it started the same way - and then Jankowski showed up. His first good linemate that he got to play with for an extended period of time since he played with Backlund and Frolik, when he had a strong rookie season. I do see rebounding in his game, sure Bennett and Jankowski battled inconsistencies, but they also had to carry outright bad right wingers all season long yet they still both produced at decent 3rd line scoring rates.
Tossing the kid on the 1st line and expecting immediate results, and then kicking him around the lineup is also not how you develop young players. They need consistency and help, and the Flames gave Bennett no consistency and no help. He hasn't played with someone with any consistency who could help him raise his game since Backlund.
Then again, the Flames signed and played horrifically bad players in their bottom 6, so expecting them to be capable of making smart decisions does seem like asking too much at times.
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Im not going to go on about this but the reason he was moved around so much was because HE was (more often than not) the problem with his line being ineffective or flat out terrible...but sure its always someone elses fault for his poor play.
Oh and he is not a "kid" any longer, he has 4 years as an NHL player under his belt and he still hasn't changed bad habits/junior moves.
Hopefully he figures it out, but nothing indicates that is about to happen any time soon.